Notable

Consumer Product Award

Core77 Design Awards 2017

Shinola Power Supply Collection

The Power Supply Collection is part of Shinola's launch into the home goods category. Shinola collaborated with Astro and General Electric to celebrate a heritage of innovation spanning 125 years. The Power Supply Collection includes a 5 port + USB, a 2 port + USB, and an extension cord. At Astro we helped define Shinola's visual design language pulling from many details established across disparate products including watches, leather goods, and bicycles. The substantial casing is made from die-cast metal finished with power coating, the curvature of the top surface introduces the same finesse that can be found in Shinola's watches, a rubber base provides grip when the power products are sitting on the floor or desktop, and custom over-braided cords are durable designed to prevent kinks or bends.

Making consumer electronics in the U.S.A. is a challenge, and finding the right partners is key. For this project, we partnered with General Electric and Byrne Electric in Grand Rapids, MI. Building the product from the ground up, we had to understand and define the technology and wrap a beautiful form around it. In America, making consumer products with a high level fit and finish at high quality is a difficult task outside of the automotive industry. Our goal was to make a power product that the consumer would want to put out as part of their home décor rather than hide away.

Extension cords are typically thought as utility pieces that are hidden away behind a piece of furniture or under a desk. Shinola believes utility can be beautiful and the Power Supply Collection embodies that thought. Considered finishes, sophisticated fabric over braided cables, and precise surfacing and part break-ups give the Power Supply Collection a substantial feel with a unique point of view in a category otherwise filled with uninspired solutions.

Innovation can come from thinking about a category in a different way. With Shinola we re-thought the expectations of power products and made them beautiful so that they can live out in space, bringing utility even closer to the user. The rubber bottom keeps the products secured in place on the floor or on a tabletop. Each piece is built with a custom 45-degree wall plug. This allows other products to plug simultaneously into a standard outlet.

Shinola has established itself as a leading American brand. Their suite of products includes watches, leather goods, bicycles, and journals. We were able to build on brand elements already established by Shinola to create a look and feel for Shinola in the home goods category while helping General Electric re-introduce themselves into the American home.

Shinola is dedicated to bringing manufacturing jobs back to Detroit and this country. Shinola's expansion into new categories means more jobs here in America. We designed substantial goods that last the test of time. In a world of conspicuous consumption The Power Supply Collection stands out as a product built to last